Creating your “Signature Selling Style!”
After I graduated from university I landed a respectable job as a trainer in the banking industry. As I settled into my first career I noticed, that wherever I was, sales people stood out. They always seemed to be having fun. They seemed so free – I wanted that too.
Eventually I traded in my bank suit for an outside sales job. Everyone thought I’d lost my mind, giving up such a reliable job – for this. In 3 years, I had worked for 8 companies. I’d been fired, discouraged, depressed, underpaid and overworked. Reality was sinking in. I was NOT a natural at sales.
Something about sales just didn’t sit well with me. Still, I wasn’t willing to give up that dream of freedom. So, how was I going to make this work? Instinctively I aligned my values and strengths with my selling approach.
Leveraging Personal Values:
I realized I didn’t just want to sell… I wanted to contribute. Eureka! Sales in training and development! This was in alignment with my values. Selling while empowering those I’m selling to – it’s so obvious now. I chose to help under or unemployed adults choose career training programs that would support their life dreams and goals.
Leveraging Personal Strengths:
My prospects had no money and no future, had to borrow thousands to go to school, then study for up to a year before they could even apply for work! Selling was, to say the least, complex. My strengths served me and served my clients. Specifically:
Honesty. When I enrolled a client I had to “look them in the eye” in the hallway for up to 12 months! If I wasn’t inclined to be honest I wouldn’t have lasted long in this environment. Honesty is impactful, compelling AND rarely dismantles the sale.
Authenticity. Scripts, rebuttals and “sales lines” have never worked for me. Attempts to “spin” the client into changing their mind felt awkward and made my clients uncomfortable. Instead, I became an expert on the “decision making process” and was deeply curious about what was on their mind.
Open-mindedness. My clients didn’t feel judged. This made it easier for them to share everything that was on their mind. When all was revealed I was in a better position to pre-empt objections and provide a solution that resonated. Secondly, I could see the unfulfilled potential of my clients and they could feel this. This “infusion of confidence” helped many people take courageous and life-changing steps.
Critical Thinking. I could step into the customer’s shoes and look at their situation from all sides. I addressed all issues – including poor fitting solutions – in real time. This type of transparency built trust and supported confident decision making.
Gratitude. In time I stopped freaking out about the quality of the lead and learned how to look for the “gift” in every conversation. I discovered that it wasn’t necessary to close the deal to get a referral.
I established a “signature selling style” that inspired client’s to take action and that, frankly, made it easy for me to jump out of bed in the morning to go to work! My approach led to 20+ years of success in sales and sales leadership.
You too can create your “signature selling style” and it starts with being clear on what your personal values and strengths are. Follow this link to discover or confirm your strengths:
http://www.viacharacter.org/www/Character-Strengths/VIA-Classification
Imagine the possibilities as you leverage your personal values and strengths as the “wind beneath your sales!”
Claudia Adair brings more than 20 years of experience as a sales trainer, workshop/group facilitator, performance coach and executive leader to her work in developing successful sales professionals and leaders. She shines at powerfully motivating individuals and organizations to execute winning strategies and achieve exceptional results.
